"HIS UNRELENTING LOVE..."
There is a peculiar and an "Unrelenting Love" from the Father-Heart of God that pursues the most depraved and lost of humanity in this dark world - that NOT even "Born-Again Christians" can truly fathom or understand; and it's the "same love" that sent Christ to the Cross of Calvary, for the entire world!
As I consciously prepare myself for another day of "walking by faith, and not by sight", I'm sincerely listening and observing "the state of this chaotic world", and the "sleeping" - Body of Christ; and the "one thing" that sits as a certainty and a resolve in my righteous soul is...GOD IS STILL, ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN!
HIS - "unchecked supremacy", "superior wisdom", and "supernatural power" is working and changing "things" and PEOPLE, who would otherwise remain "bound to their own ways, and to the systems of this world" (their self-centered - beliefs, behaviors and bondage), which has "temporal gratifications" and "limited satisfaction" - yet, HE continues to draw the wavering, the weary and the wounded, who will NOT stop "calling upon HIS name!"
"Our selfishness" is really a gross limitation upon what "is possible with Christ", but instead - "disguises itself" to be the answer and immediate solvent of our pain, without truly possessing "the real power" needed to resolve anything, or ultimately to heal or to transform us into HIS "unselfish servants" and "faithful stewards" of HIS higher purposes, and NOT our own!
MY TEST - all year long, has revolved around me "dealing with PEOPLE's brokenness", and MY OWN! I've maintained (by the grace of God), a healthy heart-attitude, when the darkness in people's souls has been so painfully-discouraging and difficult to deal with; but, GOD, "won't let me SEE anyone, without FIRST "seeing myself", in light of HIS goodness and mercy"!
In other words, our way of dealing with people, primarily revolves around the "conditional responses" we call "love", but it reeks of our own brokenness and limitations, which actually restricts GOD from being able to heal us ALL and make us whole - while HE permits us to have interactions (be that - "negative" or "positive"), that produces a certain response in our hearts, which in turn exposes where we really are!
BUT, while my heart is conscious of what's occurring and transpiring with those that I'm connected to, and as I'm observing things transpiring all over the world, I've determined to "keep my heart" in a mode of "humble recognition"; so "I don't" - attempt to have - ALL THE ANSWERS, to ANY of the challenges or the corruptible influences that exist in the world...BUT, GOD DOES!
This has brought me to this conclusion and place of resolve, which is: "Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother's milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord — now and always." (Psalms 131:1-3 NLT)
With so many things going on in the earth, Papa-God is speaking and giving relevant insight into what the "thorough refining" that's taking place in HIS Church - is all about! AND, HIS heart is burdened for many of HIS children, who for some reason - are struggling with "why HE would permit certain trials too even come to their doorsteps"; causing their hearts to be provoked to question HIS faithfulness, and ultimately HIS commitment to HIS covenant!?! (SEE BLOG LINK BELOW - "God IS Faithful!")
While it's becoming "increasingly important" during these times to "be in HIS Word" and to understand HIS nature and character, "the refining" in this present season represents the "same love", which is also "bringing correction to the world", where "the selective judgments" or "the natural-born harvests" from seeds that were sown, are NOW springing up quickly; and, in both cases ("the church" and "the world") - our total surrender is required, to really SEE the end of the uncomfortable things that we all presently have to face, with "certain" present and future implications - of course, emerging on the horizon of the exciting days just before us.
With this transpiring, now more than ever before - many believers and the churches they support, need to take "a redemptive approach" and have "a loving disposition" towards the gargantuan issue of homosexuality and "marriage equality", to the growing divide in Christendom around the common battlefront that occurs concerning "politics and religion". The cyclic politicization and conformity around many of these "debatable issues" and "heated topics" - inside many of our ministries, has revealed a frequent bowing to the relentless "cultural winds" in our world; as we begin to experience even greater exposure of what "faulty foundations" that some of us have built our lives upon - in the midst of the storm! AND, the "truth is", the way that many of us "operate" is clearly, NOT from a place of - GOD'S LOVE!
Don't be duped into believing that we don't have to "take responsibility for our actions", or that God is going to let you or I "skirt by", WITHOUT your "necessary obedience", because the stakes are much higher than any of us can even imagine right now; so we must REPENT quickly - once we've come full circle through the difficult learning curves and correction this season revealed concerning HIS "refining love"!
God is "so gracious" that HE often lets us "save face", during some of the unexpected delays and overwhelming discouragement we encounter, which is really just evidence of "where are hearts are" - that is often tied to our own personal rebellion and hard-headedness. This all-to-often just the result of "what we eat" and entertain (spiritually speaking)... But, now, our MATURITY and GRACIOUS disposition towards others brokenness, is a direct reflection on what we allow HIM to do "with ours"!
This is why it's so important to have a "brother for the day of adversity", and the "faithful wounds of a friend" - in the "fellowship of suffering", which IS the Body of Christ! "Without love for one another", we have NOTHING, and all of our labor will be - in vain!
At times, as I've looked to "the Body" during this peculiar season, I am AMAZED by the level of immaturity, hypocrisy and hatefulness that I've encounter amongst some of God's people. And, realize why "the world" has no interest in the things of God!
And, as I've prayed and listened, I've come to the conclusion that there are so many impediments, obstacles and tragedies that "WE" (God's People) are responsible for, but until we learn to really "walk in the Spirit", we'll continue to remain "casualties of war" - that suffers at the hands of our "defeated enemy" (Satan); who is using our "disunity and dividedness", our "undisciplined flesh", and our "pipe dreams" (vain visions), to keep us "wandering in the wilderness" of our own making! BUT - the times demand, a radical shift and change of focus, and it STARTS with YOU and ME!
The "true" BRIDE OF CHRIST, is advancing the kingdom of God, but, in order to both receive and reap the benefits of our cooperation - in partnership with Christ's End-Time Agenda, we must become "settled and stable"; so that we are "complete and entire - IN HIM, wanting nothing"!
When we perceive the extent in which God will allow our brokenness to be healed over many years and through many broken relationships - even during the course of our entire lifetime, it amazes me how much HE trusts HIS own providential wisdom, to use and leverage "every-thing" in our lives, in carrying out and furthering HIS righteous cause for us!
In Galatians 4, a powerful revelation is communicated concerning "mature, Spirit-led sons and daughters"; we ALL require "stewards" in our lives, until "as sons" we realize that we can no longer act as slaves - AND children, without regard for "the power to become sons", which JESUS has given to all that believe!
In other words, the degree in which the virtues of patience and perseverance with one another, begins to play a major part in how we deal with our brothers and sisters in Christ, the testing ground in all our developmental continuum's that we all must experience, will bring even greater release of our inheritance in the here and now!
Feeling "subject" to the guardianship of various "agents", with "lesser capacity" or limited understanding of "who you really are", is part of God's "training ground" of humility and identity - "in Christ", which actually will make us all more well-equipped to prosper; no matter what we may feel or experience in the process of becoming "more like HIM"!
The "fellowship of suffering" is the playing-field, for every "believer in training", and as long as we choose to DO what The Lord wills, we graduate into greater dimensions of our inheritance and purpose, without languishing in the gutters of indifference and shame!
"Abandoning assignments" because of fear, feelings or frustration is the reason most people are "held up" from FULLY receiving their inheritance.
Your circumstances that feel like "shackles", is the introduction of God's "intimate watch-care", that provides a glimpse into both - the seriousness of HIS discipline; including the level of HIS concern to be intricately involved in our lives, and determined to "make us free, indeed", as we learn to reign in the midst of our suffering and our making!
If you've felt FORGOTTEN, FORSAKEN or FURIOUS about what The Lord has permitted to occur with you in 2013, HE's allowing your heart to break now, so your own brokenness doesn't DESTROY you later on!
REPEATED TESTS are NOT exercises in futility, and GOD is NOT wasting HIS or your time permitting them! What we "see" as impossible to change, even if we're talking about OURSELVES, reference to the habits, blind-spots or pride that seems to keep us cycling through the same circumstances - is NOT leading you to "human perfection", but "total dependence" that requires the same response each time - SURRENDER.
HIS "unrelenting love" won't let you, give up!
HIS "unrelenting love" won't let you, settle for a lower calling!
HIS "unrelenting love" won't let you, stay bound to your own "stuff", IF - you don't stop, CALLING UPON HIS NAME!
No matter WHAT people do, or don't do, STAY THE COURSE of integrity, of mercy, of truth, or UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!
THAT's what HE wants you to remember...NOW, the TEST, is OVER!
YOU MADE IT...
WS-3
Walter L. Smith III, Apostolic Founder/Lead Facilitator
Pure In Heart Int'l Ministries, Inc. -
The Center For Kingdom Advancement
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